Animated films get the short end of the stick in recent years. Most critics and moviegoers feel it’s only for kids or ignore the value it has as a piece of art.

The past few years have seen a gradual shift in the general public giving animation more attention and respect. This is probably due in part to the popularity of Disney/Pixar films.

However, stop motion animation haven’t been as lucky. The most notable and recent stop motion animation film was Kubo and the Two Strings. Although the film did well with critics and viewers, received a 97% on Rotten Tomatoes, and was even nominated for two Oscars, it only brought in $69,929,545 worldwide. Which means that with its $60 million budget, it only made just under $10 million.

The past few years have seen a decline in stop motion animation in this country. At this rate it looks like stop motion will go the way 2D animation faded into obscurity when 3D animation gained popularity.

This shouldn’t happen, stop motion animation is one of the most impressive forms of media for movies. It can do amazing things, like combining stop motion and special effects to bring life to objects.

Stop motion animation films push the envelope and deserve to be saved. Don’t let this media fade, and keep an eye out for the next stop motion film coming to a theater near you.